Author
Topic: “Bullied” to delete review of GP practice having given them a low rating. (Read 706 times)

'Bullying' is a sad consequence of the misplaced and sometimes obsessive culture of targets and measurement that beset all of our public services, and create perverse incentives and and much 'gaming' of the system.

The Government bullies the NHS. The NHS bullies the doctors. The doctors bully their patients. It's as simple as that.

Firstly bullied may be too strong a word, but I can’t think of another word to sum it up.

I left what I considered to be an even-handed review on NHS choices of the experience I have had with continently of care, none emergency appointment booking etc. I first checked that other reviewer on the NHS choose site gave the other side, in that you can always get to see a GP on the same day, if you log onto the booking system at the correct time.

I left the review anonymously as I did not wish it to be found if someone googled for my name. The practice manager clearly spend considerable time working out who had left the review, it was a good bit of detective work.

I got a phone call from the practice manager explaining that they run their appointment system that way as most people like being able to see a GP on the same day, regardless of continently of care. It was also explained to me, that if I did not withdraw my review, the low rating may result in them losing funding, due to fewer people signing up with them, and that would result in me getter a lower standard of care….. (And that it may result in the practice closing.)

At no point was the practice manager nasty or threatening towards me, as I am a well educated middle-class person who is used to dealing with people in authority I did not find the practice manger intimidating. Other people are very likely to have found the manger intimidating and hence deleted their review.

The practice manager seems to be more concerned with protecting the number of stars the practice has, then with learning how they could improve the service, and balance out the needs of different clients better.

Now for the important question…..Has the same happened to anyone else when leaving reviews on NHS Chooses?

Firstly bullied may be too strong a word, but I can’t think of another word to sum it up.

I left what I considered to be an even-handed review on NHS choices of the experience I have had with continently of care, none emergency appointment booking etc. I first checked that other reviewer on the NHS choose site gave the other side, in that you can always get to see a GP on the same day, if you log onto the booking system at the correct time.

I left the review anonymously as I did not wish it to be found if someone googled for my name. The practice manager clearly spend considerable time working out who had left the review, it was a good bit of detective work.

I got a phone call from the practice manager explaining that they run their appointment system that way as most people like being able to see a GP on the same day, regardless of continently of care. It was also explained to me, that if I did not withdraw my review, the low rating may result in them losing funding, due to fewer people signing up with them, and that would result in me getter a lower standard of care….. (And that it may result in the practice closing.)

At no point was the practice manager nasty or threatening towards me, as I am a well educated middle-class person who is used to dealing with people in authority I did not find the practice manger intimidating. Other people are very likely to have found the manger intimidating and hence deleted their review.

The practice manager seems to be more concerned with protecting the number of stars the practice has, then with learning how they could improve the service, and balance out the needs of different clients better.

Now for the important question…..Has the same happened to anyone else when leaving reviews on NHS Chooses?